User blog:SPARTAN 119/Oda Nobunaga vs Gustavus Adolphus
Oda Nobunaga, the Japanese daimyo who fought unify the warring feudal states and defeated the elite Takeda cavalry with innovative pike and musket tactics. VS Gustavus Adolphus, the Swedish king who challenged the armies of the Catholic League and the Holy Roman Empire with innovative military tactics. =Combatants= Oda Nobunaga Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長), June 23, 1534 – June 21, 1582) was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the rule of the shogun in the late 16th century, a ruling that ended only with the opening of Japan to the Western world in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy shugo (military governor) with land holdings in Owari Province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering a third of Japanese daimyo before his death in 1582. His successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a loyal Oda supporter, would eventually become the first man to conquer all of Japan and the first ruler of all Japan since the Ōnin War. Nobunaga was known for his innovative military tactics, including the use of a musketeers in three lines, one reloading, one arming their weapon, and one firing, supported by a line of pikemen. These tactics defeated the elite Takeda cavalry at the Battle of Nagashino. Nobunaga was also known to use deception and surprise attacks as per the Battle of Okehazama. Gustavus Adolphus Gustavus Adolphus, also known as Gustav Adolf II, was the king of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. Adolphus is best known for ushering in the era of the Swedish Empire and for his innovative military tactics that won him a number of battles in the Thirty Years War and the Polish-Swedish War, earning him the nicknames "The Lion of the North" and later, "The Father of Modern Warfare". Adolphus' innovations included effective used of combined arms tactics, cavalry attacking out from behind a solid pike and musket infantry line supported by light, mobile cannon. Soldiers were given at least basic training with all the weapons of the army- pikemen could aim and fire a musket effectively and musketeers could handle a pike. Cavalry and infantrymen were trained to man artillery, which allowed them to turn captured guns against the enemy. Even artillery crews and infantry were trained in fighting on horseback. With his well-trained army and innovative tactics, Adolphus won several major battles including Brietenfeld and Rain. Adolphus died when he was shot by an enemy musketeer at the Battle of Lutzen in 1632. =Weapons= Swords Katana (Oda) The katana is the classic "samurai sword", with an extremely sharp curved single-edged blade forged from layers of hard, medium and soft steel to provide the optimum combination of strength and flexibility. Saber (Adolphus) A saber is a curved sword designed for cavalry combat, intended mainly for making slashing attacks down from horseback. The European cavalry saber was used from about the 17th century onwards, and was derived from early Middle Eastern, Mongol, and Eastern European swords. 119's Edge Oda's katana for its superior workmanship and cutting ability. Polearms Yari (Oda) The yari is straight-bladed spear with a blade on top anywhere from less than one to three feet in length. The pole can be up over six meters in length. The yari often had a crossbar under the blade. Around the time of Oda Nobunaga, yari were often used in combination of firearms, with the yari covering the gunners as they reloaded. Pike (Gustavus) A pike is simply a long spear, up to twenty feet long. The weapon is useful for warding off cavalry when used in formation. When used in combination with archers and handgunners, the weapon brought about the end of the era of the armored knight. The weapon was, along with the matchlock musket, one of the two standard weapons of the pike and shot armies of the 17th century. The era of the pike ended with the invention of the bayonet, which effectively allowed musket to also play the role of pikemen. 119's Edge The two weapons are essentially the same thing, Even Pistols Bajozutsu (Oda) The Bajozutsu is a Japanese matchlock pistol typically used by mounted samurai. The weapon was essentially a shortened version of the tanegashima musket, with a pistol-style grip. Wheellock Pistol (Gustavus) The wheelock system of the firearm operation uses a spring-loaded metal wheel striking against a piece of pyrite to create a spark to ignite the gunpowder in the chamber. The weapon requires a spanner to spin up the wheel after reloading, making the reloading process lengthy. 119's Edge Gustavus' wheellock pistol for its more reliable ignition system Muskets Tanegashima (Oda) Named for the island on which muskets were first introduced to Japan by the Portuguese, the Tanegashima is a matchlock. Like all matchlock weapons, it proved most effective at relatively close ranges, when fired volleys, with musketeers covered by polearms. Oda Nobunaga used this tactic to his advantage at the Battle of Nanashino. Matchlock Musket (Gustavus) Musketeers at the time of Gustavus used a simple type of matchlock firearm, a musket fired using a slow-burning cord or "match" the was placed against a touchhole using a spring loaded mechanism activated by a simple trigger. The matchlock was most effective when fired in volleys at relatively close ranges, where it proved effective at piercing even plate armor. 119's Edge The two are essentially the same thing, Even. =X-Factors= =Battle= Oda Nobunaga: Gustavus Adolphus: Oda Nobunaga's sat on horseback in the middle of an open field, flanked by four samurai on foot armed with Tanegashima muskets and yari. Opposite them, Gustavus Adolphus rode in slowly, followed by two musketeers and two pikemen. The two sides stared each other down for several seconds, until, at the same time, both leaders ordered their men to open fire. Tanegashima and matchlock muskets roared, sending balls of lead flying and filling the air with smoke. A samurai and a Swedish soldier both fell. As Oda's men reloaded, the surviving Swedish soldiers took advantage of their multi-mission training and mounted horses for the Swedish baggage train while Oda's samurai were reloading, dropping their pikes and muskets and replacing them with sabres and pistols. Oda Nobunaga and his samurai, however, were not intimidated. Oda pointed his katana forward and his musketeers, who had just reloaded, to open fire. The volley of fire impacted charging Swedes, blowing one right off his horse. One of Gustavus's Swedes raised his wheellock pistol and fired, scoring a hit on one of Oda's musketeers right to the chest, killing him. The Swedish cavalryman, however, was impaled on samurai's yari. Gustavus himself avoided the samurai pikeman and slashed his throat with his saber , as a second Swedish cavalryman fired his wheellock pistol, killing him with a headshot. . Oda Nobunaga rode out, bajozutsu in hand and shot the last remaining Swede off his horse, before drawing his katana and charging straight at Gustavus. Gustavus, however, raised his wheellock pistol and fired, missing Oda but hitting his horse, killing it with a headshot. Oda rolled as he fell off his horse and turned to Gustavus, to see him charging it him with sabre at the ready. Oda evaded the saber strike and sliced at the horse's neck with his katana. The blow killed Gustavus' mount, causing the Swedish king to fall off his horse, landing on his back. Oda raised his sword high, prepared to thrust downward and finish off the downed Swedish king. However, Oda did not realize that Gustavus had a second wheellock pistol. Gustavus drew his pistol and fired at the opening his Oda's helmet for his face. Blood stained the inside of his helmet as the Japanese daimyo fell to the ground, dead. WINNER: Gustavus Adolphus Expert's Opinion This was a very close match, as both Oda Nobunaga and Gustavus Adolphus were great commanders known for their innovative military tactics, however, Gustavus won this battle because of the superior, multi-mission training of his troops and his superior pistol. Category:Blog posts